Reviews

The Doll Trilogy: Kid Stakes, Other Times, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll

By Ray Lawler. Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre, Melbourne. 10 February – 11 April 2026

Cane cutter mates Roo (Ben Prendergast) and Barney (John Leary) come down from Queensland in the off season – or ‘layoff’.  By chance, they run into a couple of girls – Olive (Ngaire Dawn Fair) and Nancy (Emily Goddard) – at the aquarium and end up as boarders and more at the Carlton boarding house run by Olive’s mother Emma (Caroline Lee).

Eat the Rich (but maybe not my mates x)

By Jade Franks. Adelaide Fringe 2026. The Studio - Holden Street Theatres. February 17th - March 22nd, 2026

Jade Franks is a writer and performer from Liverpool in the UK - she was the recipient of the Holden Street Theatres’ Edinburgh Fringe Award. This award was established to bring high-quality independent theatre from Edinburgh to the Adelaide Fringe. It’s a crucial bridge for international artists to reach Australian audiences. Franks has won many awards for her artistic endeavours and it's easy to see why after witnessing her latest production.

Elixir Revived

Head First Acrobats Pty Ltd. Adelaide Fringe. The Vault @ Fool’s Paradise. Victoria Square, Adelaide. Feb 18 – March 22, 2026

What happens when you leave four grown men alone with experimental scientific elixirs designed to enhance performance? You get chaos, excitement, but most of all, you get fun!

The Pink List

Fabulett Productions. Adelaide Fringe 2026. Ruby’s - Holden Street Theatres. February 20th - March 8th, 2026

Michael Trauffer is the creator and performer of The Pink List. Collaborating with Sarah Morrison since 2023, this musical is inspired by the real-life experiences of gay concentration camp survivors. The story is drawn from historical facts and firsthand accounts; particularly those of Karl Gorath, Heinz Dormer and Joseph Kohout.

The Trouble with Harry

By Lachlan Philpott. Adelaide Fringe. Presented by the Flinders Drama Centre. The Barbara Hardy Garden at Holden Street Theatres. Tue, 03 Mar - Sun, 08 Mar, 2026

With more than 50 years as a leader in offering professional training for actors, directors and playwrights, the Flinders Drama Centre production of The Trouble with Harry is the perfect vehicle to showcase graduates of their intensive industry-ready program. With alumni including actors Amber McMahon and Noni Hazlehurst, and internationally acclaimed director Scott Hicks, the centre has an impressive reputation for preparing skilled and versatile theatre company members, and this show is yet another example.

Michael Paynter – The Great Australian Songbook Tour

Presented by Michael Paynter. Adelaide Fringe at Aurora Spiegeltent at The Garden of Unearthly Delights. 4 March 2026.

Attending Michael Paynter: The Great Australian Songbook Live at the Aurora Spiegeltent as part of the Adelaide Fringe Festival was a genuinely memorable night of music, storytelling, and heartfelt performance. Fresh from an acclaimed season in musical theatre which included a celebrated portrayal of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, Paynter stepped into a more intimate setting with this stripped-back tour that celebrates Australian artists whose songs that have influenced his musical identity.

Every Brilliant Thing

By Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe. Directed by Timothy Wynn. JUTE Theatre Company, Cairns. March 4-14, 2026.

One man shows have the possibly of being exceedingly boring, however, this performance in Every Brilliant Thing by actor Jason Klarwein had the audience wanting more.

Klarwein commenced his performance on the sparse but compact in-the-round-set, by getting off his chair in the audience and communicating in a normal voice. There was no grand drum-roll entrance, nor did he try to impress with Richard Burton-like vocals. Klarwein, casually dressed, simply talked to us. 

Wright & Grainger – Orpheus

Presented by Wright & Grainger. Adelaide Fringe at The Mortlock Chamber Library. 19 Feb – 22 March 2026.

There are performances that you witness, and then there are those rare performances that you truly experience. Wright & Grainger’s Orpheus at the Adelaide Fringe in the stunning Mortlock Chamber Library of the State Theatre was unequivocally the latter. What I witnessed was, in the truest sense, ‘next level’ performance art.

Afterglow

By S. Asher Gelman. Eternity Playhouse, Darlinghurst. 26 February - 22 March, 2026

Welcome to the world of gay throuples in New York. S. Asher Gelman is the writer, director and choreographer of this hit play about a married gay couple who take in a third lover. Gelman knows the deal well – he lives in New York with both his husband and his partner, plus two cats.

Adore Handel’s Cautionary Tales

Adore Handel. Adelaide Fringe. The Lark @ Gluttony. Rymill Park, Adelaide. March 3-8, 2026

Adore Handel’s Cautionary Tales are more than just stories; they are life lessons told by a time traveller who has been there and done that!

Following his success at the Adelaide Fringe in 2024 with his show Adore Handel’s Little Black Book, Adore (AKA Luke Bell) returns with a new show, bigger and cheekier than ever.

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